Agents of SHIELD 25:
by torriya
Summary: This story takes place after the events of the Winter Finale. The first chapter, "Reunion" picks up right after the end of the Winter Finale, with Skye's "rebirth". Enjoy!
1. Reunion

**Hello everyone! This is my very first fanfic!...I absolutely love Agents of SHIELD, and can't help wondering what the second half of the season will bring. Please, please, please leave feedback, and I will do my best to improve with every chapter!**

**_Chapter 1: _**Reunion

Skye shuddered as she looked at the pile of dust that had once been her friend Triplett. She wiped her eyes, knowing there would be no way to collect Trip's remains. The room was dead silent except for a faint growling noise coming from the spiny beast that was once Raina. _I've got to get out of here, _Skye thought. She pressed her hand against the stone wall, feeling for resistance, and it crumbled before her eyes. Skye yanked her hand back, trembling, and caught a glimpse of Coulson and Mack huddled together on the other side of the wall, hands raised protectively over their heads. Skye let out a sob of relief and stumbled over to Coulson who rose and wrapped his arms tightly around her: "It's okay, Skye", he whispered, squeezing her tightly, "you're going to be okay".

When he released her, Mack gave her a shaky grin, saying "C'mon sis, let's get out of here". Skye returned his smile, glad that he was okay. But she couldn't stop thinking about Trip. "Tr-trip…", Skye stammered. "I know", Coulson said, "he's somewhere down here too, but we'll find him". "No", Skye whispered, "He's dead. An obelisk shard pierced him…he's gone". Skye dissolved into tears as Coulson embraced her once more. "It's not your fault, he murmured, "Come on, we should get back to the others".

The three agents made their way back to the front of the tunnel, where they found Fitzsimmons, wrapped in each other's arms. They were both crying softly. Fitz shrieked when he saw Mack, and his tears quickly turned to laughter: "You're alive! You're all alive! Simmons, they made it! We thought...that you…that you were…" "Well, we're very glad you're alive", Simmons said matter-of-factly, giving Skye a hug. "But where's Trip? He took down all the explosives, and–" She caught a glimpse of Skye's expression and faltered: "He's not…he can't be…oh no, please, no!" Simmons nearly collapsed as she burst into tears. Fitz embraced her protectively, the tears back in his eyes: "C'mon", he muttered, "I'm sure May's worried sick".

May didn't see them approach. Her shoulders were shaking violently as she stared down into the pit where she had last seen Coulson disappear. The other agents were stunned –they had never seen May even come close to crying.

Coulson carefully approached her: "Mel –". May froze. She slowly turned, facing Coulson, then immediately slapped him in the face. He stepped back, surprised. "Good to see you too", he mumbled. May grabbed him and hugged him tightly: "God, I thought I lost you, Phil", she whispered, her voice trembling. "I thought you were gone forever". She released him abruptly, and quietly embraced the other members of the team, her expression clouding when she noticed Trip's absence. "Let's get back to the bus", she commanded, her voice once again steady. "I'm sure we have a lot to talk about".


	2. Regrouping

Skye headed to her room after what might've been the longest conversation of her life. She had been forced to recount everything that happened in the cave, from Raina setting off the obelisk, Trip's sacrifice, and Skye's new ability to crumble walls. She could tell from the looks on everyone's faces that they weren't sure what to think of her anymore. After her account, everyone had just stared at her for a while. Skye didn't have anything more to say to them, so she looked at the ground.

"Well, Simmons said, with forced perkiness, "I think I'd better start researching and see if we can find out something that might give us a clue to any changes we should be expecting. Fitz, would you like to help?"

"Actually, I think I'm going to work with Mack for a bit now that he's back. But I'll come over in a little while".

"No, Fitz", Mack said, "Start off working with Simmons. I'm going to give Agent Bobbi a call. She might like to know I'm alive. And hopefully I can try to find out where she and Hunter ended up. No one's heard from them in hours". Fitz nodded, then slowly followed Simmons out of the room.

"Skye, would you excuse us for a moment?" Coulson asked, "There's someone…some_thing _May and I have to discuss". Skye glanced up at her S.O., who gave her a reassuring nod. Skye backed out of the room, trying not to feel excluded. She couldn't help recalling what her father had said to her: "After you change no one else will understand. They'll be afraid, change is terrifying". She shuddered, trying to put the image of Cal's face out of her head.

Somehow, she made it back to her room, and opened up her laptop. The best way to clear her mind was to complete a complex hack. But for the first time in years, her heart just wasn't in it. She closed her laptop, and lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. _How are the others dealing with it?_ Skye thought, _they lost one agent, and had another turn into an inhuman in that last 5 hours, and their heads aren't exploding? _She took a deep breath, and her mind drifted to Trip. She couldn't believe that she'd just lost one of her best friends. Even more unbelievable was that this time, it wasn't Ward's fault.

Skye sat straight up in bed. Ward. She'd almost forgotten that she'd shot him and left him for dead. _He deserved it, _Skye told herself firmly, _he's killed countless people, and –what? He was my S.O. _Now all the memories from before flooded into Skye's mind, the board games, the gentle teasing, the feeling of complete safety when Ward was around. _He's a murderer! _Skye reminded herself. _He's barely even a human being, and by now, probably not a living one. _Then Raina's comment echoed in her head: "it's love". Skye was utterly repulsed that Ward loved her, and anyway, that couldn't be true, could it? _Well even if he's still alive, _she thought with certainty, _there's no way he loves me after I put a few bullets in his gut. _

There was a light knock on the door, she rose to find Mack holding his cell phone. "I just finished talking to Bobbi. She and Hunter are on their way over. She wouldn't tell me what they've been up to, but I suppose we'll find out eventually. Anyway, Coulson wants to see you in his office. As soon as possible".


	3. Going back

**Hey there, folks! I probably should've mentioned this somewhere in the first two chapters, but I do not in any way own Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or any of their property. I'm amazed at how many people have been reading this, and it's only been a couple weeks...you guys rock! Please continue leaving comments!**

**Sorry for the absence this week…vacation time **

**There has been speculation in the reviews section that I might be a Skyeward fan…you would be right. **** I will try not to overpower my story with Skyewardiness, mostly because I'm still mad at him too! I'm also a Fitzsimmons and Philinda shipper…so be warned of future shipping! Fitzsimmons will probably be explored the most in my fanfic. Overall, though, I try to take a serious tone and try to follow what the actual storyline might entail. **

**Anywho…sorry for the long intro…time for chapter 3!**

Skye knocked on the door to Coulson's office, then entered carefully. "Skye, sit", Coulson said, indicating a chair between him and May. Skye sat down, glancing between them. "We know today's been tough", Coulson started, "but we have to move forward as quickly as possible if we want to avoid any unpleasant surprises". Skye nodded, bracing herself for whatever came next.

"We're going back for Raina", Coulson said. "Yes, I know she's unpredictable, and I'm sure she could be a threat to us, but May and I feel that she would be a much greater danger if Hydra got to her first". Again, Skye nodded. She didn't expect Coulson to let Hydra pick up an Inhuman that they could turn into a weapon. But she didn't see why they were telling her this, unless –"You're going to be the one finding her, Skye", Coulson said. He grimaced as he saw her turn pale. "Trust me, the last thing I want to do is send you into any more danger. You've been through enough, but –". "It's okay", Skye interrupted, taking a deep breath. "I want to help. I can handle it. What do I need to do?"

* * *

><p>Ward opened his eyes and tried to sit up. "Don't move", warned a familiar voice, "You'll reopen the wound". Ward blinked and saw Agent May leaning over him, pressing an icepack to his abdomen. No, it wasn't May. It was that Agent 33 or whatever who had somehow ended up with a much less attractive version of May's face.<p>

"You passed out in the car", not-May said, "I had to drag you up here. You, sir, are very heavy". Ward grunted, then sat up, ignoring not-May's protests.

"How long was I out?" "About an hour", she replied, handing him a cup of coffee, "Do you remember what happened to you?"

"How could I forget", Grant mumbled. "Where's Skye?"

Agent 33 looked puzzled. "You do know she shot you, right?"

Ward glared at her, "I said, _where is she?"_

"Not how this works", Agent 33 firmly replied, "I helped you, now you're going to help me. So, what do I do now?"

Ward scowled, but he was secretly impressed that Agent 33 had the nerve to stand up to him. Then again, he was laying on a couch recovering from being shot. "It's going to be tough", he began hesitantly, "You're going to have to rediscover your identity. If I were you, I would try maintaining your Hydra association until you can find out more about yourself. Unfortunately, I can't be of much help to you. But, if you're looking for someone to lie low with for a while, you can probably help me".

Agent 33 nodded: "I'll think about it".

Ward eased himself back down on the pillow. How could he get Skye to like him again_?_ He thought, for a moment, when Raina had said that he was doing everything because he loved her, that she might have felt something for him by the look on her face. And then she shot him. And would've killed him if he hadn't gotten lucky. _Skye isn't a killer,_ he thought, _I can still make her love me, I know it. _He would win Skye back, whatever it took.

He glanced towards the kitchen, where May's lookalike was making soup. _Without that burned spot, _he thought, _she looks _exactly _like May. Now that's an idea. _"Hey," Ward snapped, making Agent 33 jump, "how do you get one of those masks?"

* * *

><p>"Okay", Skye said shakily, "So who's going to be backing me up?"<p>

Coulson winced. "Umm…no one."

"What?" Skye yelled, "You're sending me in there to find a beast **by myself?**"

May put her hand on Skye's shoulder. "We don't want to make you do this anymore than you want to. But we lost one team member in that tunnel temporarily and permanently lost another. You have the best chance at succeeding and surviving, Skye".

Skye took a deep breath, steadying herself, "When do I go in?"

Coulson looked at her sympathetically, "Now, if you're up to it. We don't want to waste a minute".


	4. Pulling Together

They had arrived at the pit. Skye took a deep breath as Mack secured her into the harness. "Good luck, sis", Mack whispered. Skye looked up at him and could see how nervous he was, being back in the place where he'd lost his identity and nearly died less than a day ago. She squeezed his hand as he locked her in.

"Mack", Skye began quietly, "if something happens to me while I'm in there, I need you to–".

"Hush", Mack scolded her, "nothing is going to happen to you. _Nothing_". Skye forced a smile, "Well, then say 'hey' to Bobbi and Hunter for me, and let them know I'll see them soon, okay?"

"Will do, kid". Mack backed away as Coulson approached Skye with a communication device. "Listen to me", he said firmly, "Fitzsimmons will be monitoring you the whole time. If you need help, if you _really _need it, someone will come in after you, okay? We're not going to let anything happen to you, don't worry". Coulson looked like he was trying very hard to follow his own advice. "Now remember, as soon as you find Raina, shoot her with this ICEr, don't try to talk to her or anything, just–"

"I know, Coulson", Skye said softly, "I'll be fine". She embraced him tightly, and felt his arms wrap around her in return. They held each other tightly for a moment, then he released her and stepped back.

"Okay, Skye", May said gently, "we're lowering you down in 3…2…1"

* * *

><p>Simmons and Fitz hovered over the screen back at The Bus as they watched Skye descend into the pit. "Alright", Fitz said, "it should take her about five minutes to reach the room where the obelisk was…umm… activated. Hopefully, Raina hasn't moved in the last couple hours. According to Skye, she didn't…didn't seem…umm–"<p>

"Didn't seem to be good condition for moving, yes", Simmons finished. Fitz blushed and turned away, "Yeah, Simmons, I was getting there. You always just–"

"Fitz", Simmons said gently, putting a hand tentatively on his shoulder, "we need to talk".

"No." Fitz shrugged off her hand, "I can't".

"I'm sorry, Fitz, but we have to. You're my best friend; I need someone to work with, to talk to–"

"Simmons, I _tried _talking to you. Ever since you jumped out of the plane when you had that virus and I almost lost you, I knew how much you meant to me, and I wanted to tell you, I really did. But I was so scared that you wouldn't feel the same way…that you would leave me. But then when Ward…when he tried to…to kill us, I thought I was going to die, and I needed to tell you how I felt. And then what I was afraid of came true. You didn't feel the same way, and you left".

"I'm so sorry, Fitz. All I had time to think about was how to make sure both of us got out of there alive", Simmons whispered, "And there's something I should tell you too. I–"

"Jemma", Fitz interrupted, "What happened? The screen's gone dark. Where's Skye?!"

* * *

><p>Skye had reached the room where she had last seen Raina, "I'm in, guys", she reported back to Coulson, "No sign of her". She called softly into the room, "Raina? You still in here?"<p>

Skye jumped as she heard footsteps behind her. She whirled around, and found herself face to face with her father.

Cal smiled as he looked into his daughter's face. He could sense the power she radiated, and he loved it. Now, his daughter could be with him, she could be his...forever. "Welcome home, Daisy".


	5. Lies and Surprises

**Happy New Year, everyone! This chapter is quite a bit longer than previous ones, and I considered breaking it into two, then decided against it. I hope you enjoy! **

"No. No, no, _no_", Skye screamed, backing away from her father. She put her hand up to her earpiece, "Coulson, I need help. Now." No response. "Coulson?...Coulson!" Skye took several deep breaths. _Where were they?_ She could not deal with this on her own right now.

"The connection has been cut, Daisy", Cal said, reaching out towards her, "They can't hear you".

"No", Skye snarled, pulling out her ICEr, "You leave me alone, _now_, or I shoot you. I swear to God, I will do it".

"No, my love, you won't", Cal replied, without a trace of fear in his voice, "Besides, I'm here to help you. You want to find Raina. I have her. You need someone to help you understand your powers. I can do that. You need me, Daisy."

"Actually, I think I can figure out my 'powers' on my own, thanks". Skye closed her eyes, and concentrated on vibrating the ground. The entire cave shook, and chunks of rock came raining down from the ceiling and walls, piling on top of her father. Skye turned and ran. She made it about 50 steps before she hit a dead end, and turning around, saw Cal blocking her path.

"That was impressive, Daisy". Skye's father could hardly keep the pride out of his voice, "but I know you can be so much more. Let me help you. Please. I'm asking nicely, dear, but there's really no other option for you".

"I could shoot you", Skye snapped angrily, but Cal just kept smiling at her. They both knew she couldn't kill him. Skye closed her eyes. She was thinking a million miles an hour. _How can I get myself out of this? I swear, he's as bad as Ward…they just won't leave me alone! _She took a deep breath, then looked her father in the eyes, glaring at him, "Okay. Since I have no other option, and because I need to find Raina, I'll come with you". Cal grinned at her, and opened his mouth to speak. "Wait", Skye held up her hand to silence him, "First, you will let me return to the team to say goodbye". Cal tried to protest, but she cut him off again, "I won't tell them where I'm going, or even mention you, but you _will _let me say goodbye to them, or else I will crumble this cave on top of you, I don't care if it kills both of us. Do you understand?"

Cal looked into his daughter's face, "Okay, Daisy, as you wish. You have one hour. I'll be here, waiting for you".

Skye turned and sprinted back to the entrance of the tunnel. She had one hour left with the people she loved, and she was going to use it.

* * *

><p>Back in the tunnel, Cal spoke into his earpiece, "I've got her. I've given her one hour to say her goodbyes, then she's off to discover herself with daddy dearest". Cal reached up to his face, and pulled off the mask, revealing the distorted face of Agent May.<p>

"Well done", Ward said to Agent 33 through his earpiece. He smiled to himself and whispered "We'll be together again, Skye. I'll make you love me, just wait and see".

* * *

><p>Coulson was panicking. "What do you mean, you lost her?" Coulson shouted to Fitzsimmons, "Where could she have gone?" He looked wildly around the room at the other agents. Bobbi and Hunter had just rejoined the team, and Mack and May were filling them in. They froze as they heard Coulson's frantic shouting.<p>

"We don't know, sir", Simmons said timidly, "one minute she was walking down the tunnel, and the next, the screen went dark. She's not responding to any of our attempts at communication."

"You guys had _one job_!" Coulson yelled, "How could you let this happen? I'm going in after her. May, get me a –" Coulson paused as he heard a faint screaming.

"Coulson! Mack! Lift me up! Quickly!" Skye's voice rose from the entrance of the tunnel. Mack ran over to the opening and began hoisting her up. When he had completely lifted her out, Skye sunk to the ground, exhausted. Coulson approached her, looking concerned. He helped her up, then motioned for May to grab her something to drink.

"No", Skye gasped, "no time. I came to tell you…that I have to…have to go back soon. I found Raina", she lied, "but the communication system was broken, so I thought I should come back to fill you in. It might take me a while to bring her back, so I wanted to say…goodbye for now. I'll see you in a little bit, of course", she added hastily, "but just in case bringing her in takes a really long time, I wanted to see you for a bit." Skye stared at the ground after she finished speaking, her eyes filling with tears. She hated lying to her team, but if Cal found out she had told them about him, he could attack them.

Coulson and May glanced at each other questioningly. They were used to Skye's rambling, but her story didn't quite make sense. Skye embraced Hunter and Bobbi as Mack relayed the news to Fitzsimmons. Skye looked at Mack. "Could you ask them to come down for a bit, Mack? I'm only going to stay for about 45 minutes, and I'd like to see them."

Mack nodded, and passed on the message to Fitzsimmons. Skye sat down on the floor between May and Coulson and leaned her head on Coulson's shoulder. Her eyes started watering again and she began to tremble.

"Skye", Coulson began tentatively, "Is there anything you want to talk about?" She shook her head and didn't say anything. "We can send in someone with you if you want, Skye. I don't want you to get hurt". Skye shook her head firmly and said with false bravado "I'm fine, Coulson, I just want to rest a bit with you guys before I go back in. I can handle it." She turned to smile at Hunter and Bobbi, "I missed you guys, what've you been up to?"

Hunter winked at her. "It's a long story, Skye. It can wait until you get back." Skye's smile faltered, but she nodded and rested her head back on Coulson's shoulder.

Within the next half hour, Fitzsimmons arrived and joined the circle of agents around the opening of the cave. They sat on opposite sides of the circle. Coulson quietly apologized for getting angry at them earlier, and they shrugged it off, murmuring that they were just glad that Skye was alright.

Skye finally looked at her watch, and realizing that she only had ten minutes to get back to her father, rose and said "I'd better get going everyone".

All of the agents stood, and she embraced them one by one. Simmons stroked Skye's hair, and whispered for her to be careful. Bobbi and Hunter both gave her a reassuring squeeze and smiled at her confidently. Once again, Mack wished her luck and started fixing her harness. Fitz hugged her as well, and mumbled something about sending a monkey instead. Skye laughed weakly and he blushed. Next, Skye was embraced briefly by May, who then held her at arm's length, looking into her eyes for a clue of what was really going on. Skye held her gaze, willing herself not to betray any weakness, then moved toward Coulson once May released her. She hugged Coulson tightly, then whispered, just soft enough where he wouldn't be able to hear it "Goodbye, Dad". Even though she was about to go rejoin her birth father, she knew that Coulson was the one who loved and cared for her like a true father, and she loved him back. Her eyes filled with tears when he finally let go of her. "Okay", she said, trying not to whimper, "Time to go".


	6. Oops

**I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but I felt it was better to get something small out then make you all wait around for something longer. But I promise, I will add a new chapter very soon!**

Coulson stared sadly into the pit, feeling unusually helpless. "Coulson", Bobbi began hesitantly, "I think we should talk about something. I didn't want to stress out Skye before she went back into the temple, but Hunter and I saw Cal, her father. He looked like he'd been beaten up a bit".

Coulson rubbed his bruised jaw, smirking "Well, he's not the only one".

"Anyway", Bobbi continued, "we managed to get a tracker on him…Hunter did his fake-cowboy thing, which surprise, surprise, actually worked". Hunter started to defend himself, but May glared at him, clearly indicating he should stay shut up. "So, right now, he's in some hideout about three miles outside of town. We figured it would probably be a good idea to keep tabs on him in case he tries to contact Skye".

"Good idea", Coulson said, nodding "Fitzsimmons, I want you to keep close watch on any of Cal's movements, okay? At least until Skye is back with us. Since we can't follow her, we might as well make sure her father isn't". Simmons nodded, and left the room immediately, Fitz following behind her after a brief hesitation. Coulson sighed as he noticed the tension between them; he really did not have time to deal with their personal issues. "Actually, Mack, would you grab Fitz and see if you can come up with something useful in the Garage?"

"Yes, sir", Mack said knowingly, "I'll do what I can".

"Thank you. Bobbi, can you help Simmons monitor Cal, then?" Bobbi nodded, then exited the room behind Mack. Coulson looked between May and Hunter. "May, you'll stay here with me, and we can wait for Skye to get back. Hunter –" Coulson faltered, unsure of where to send him.

"Just take a break", May snapped, "but standby…Coulson and I might need someone to grab us a snack at some point". Hunter mumbled something under his breath, but left the room, leaving the two older agents together. "Coulson", May said gently, "you need to rest…you've had a _very _long day". Coulson nodded, and shoved his hands into his pockets, a habit he'd recently developed for whenever he felt nervousness. A surprised look came over Coulson's face as he pulled a scrap of paper out of his jacket. It seems someone else had also picked up on his habit.

Coulson grew even more puzzled as he stared at the words. "Cal's in there…don't come help". Then, realizing that Skye must've slipped in the note during their hug, Coulson paled. _That's why Skye was so scared: she thought she was about to face her father again…alone_, he thought, _but it's worse than that. Whoever she thinks is her father…isn't. _Coulson buried his head in his hands, then vented a frustrated kick at the wall, "Damnit, Skye".


	7. Choices

**This is what I would've attached to the last chapter if I had time. If you want, just think of it as "Oops, part 2". **** Enjoy!**

"Hey, 33! The hour is almost up…get that mask on before Skye sees you". Ward's voice startled the agent, who flinched and rolled her eyes.

"I do have a name, you know. You can stop that 'Agent 33' business. My name is Kara". While she was speaking, she started to reapply Cal's mask.

"Whatever, _Kara, _hurry up and get the mask on". Kara froze as she heard steps coming towards her. Ward swore violently and Kara winced. She gave up on trying to put on the mask, and turned towards the footsteps. "Whatever you tell her, Kara, I'm not involved", Ward whispered into the earpiece, "Just get her to come back with you, okay? Please". Kara could hear the note of panic in his voice, and she nodded, without realizing that Ward couldn't see her nod. "Kara!" Ward hissed.

"Yes, yes, okay", she responded. "I got this".

"Got what?" a cold voice asked, and Kara spun around to face a very angry Skye, ICEr pointed at her chest.

"Don't shoot!" Kara shouted. She continued in a softer voice: "Please, I'm me again, Agent 33…Kara". Skye's eyes narrowed, disbelieving. "I swear, when Whitehall died, his control over me broke…I'm not loyal to him. You have to believe me, please."

"Then what are you doing down here?" Skye asked. "And where's Cal? I know he was right here".

"I don't know where he is", Kara answered. "And Whitehall's last order to me was to find the obelisk, so I came down here. Although, there's really no point in me finding it now…it's not like I can do anything with it…" Kara trailed off nervously, looking up at Skye, and praying that she was buying her lie.

"Well that doesn't explain where Cal went", Skye mumbled. "There's no way he would've left here without me. He's completely obsessed with me. Him and Ward…my little stalker fan club". Kara smiled quietly, very glad that Ward couldn't hear their conversation.

"Umm, Skye?" Kara asked, interrupting Skye's reverie, "I know you've got a lot going on, but would you mind showing me out of here? You seem to know more or less what you're doing". Skye nodded absentmindedly, and beckoned for Kara to follow her. "By the way", Kara added, "I'm sorry for trying to kill you. And May. I really didn't want to do that".

"Don't worry about it", Skye laughed, "I'm just lucky that I've learned May's fighting style…if you were impersonating some other ninja, I don't know what I would've done!"

Kara smiled at the young agent, impressed by her composure. She could see why Ward liked her, and also why Skye wanted nothing to do with Ward. "Well I wanted to be my own boss", she mumbled to herself as Skye led her through another passage, "I guess it's time for me to start making some choices".


	8. Feelings

**Hi there! This chapter is a little bit angstier than previous chapters, but I think you'll enjoy it. Don't forget to comment!**

**(As usual, I do not own anything in relation to Agents of SHIELD)**

* * *

><p>"Phil, you are <em>not <em>going in there after her. You can barely stand up, much less get in a fight with whoever is messing with Skye! Let me go down after her. I can handle it."

Coulson took a deep breath as he looked at May. She was right, as always. As much as he hated to admit it, he was in no shape to be chasing after Skye.

May saw the concerned and frustrated expression in Phil's face. She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Phil. I'll make sure nothing happens to her. Don't you trust me?"

Coulson looked up at her in surprise. "Of course I trust you, May. There's no one I trust more in the world." He saw a rare smile, soft but lovely, creep onto May's face. "But I don't want anyone else to get hurt. Not Skye…or you. You have no idea all the guilt I feel for what happened to Tripp. I'm supposed to protect all of you, I _need _to protect all of you."

"I know", May whispered, the smile gone. "And how could you even say that I don't know what it's like? Do you have any idea of what it is like to hear people call me the Cavalry? I screwed up that mission, Phil, and nearly cost innocent people their lives! So don't _ever _tell me I don't know what it's like to feel guilty!" May took a deep breath, trying not to lose her temper.

"May, I'm sorry", Coulson said. "I shouldn't have said that. I wasn't trying to upset you. Please. I'm just worried about Skye. What if she wants to be with her father, and that's why she told us not to follow? Why would she ever want to be with that monster?"

May raised her eyebrows. "Yes, she wants to be with her father, that's why she left in tears. It couldn't possibly be the fact that she wants to protect you from him," May said dryly. "Oh don't look so surprised", she snapped at Coulson, "it's obvious the girl adores you. In our training sessions it's always 'Coulson this' and 'Coulson that'. Don't ever think that she would rather spend any part of her life with Cal rather than you".

Coulson smiled at May. "Thank you". As May nodded, he could sense an unusual emotion coming from her. Jealousy? "May," Coulson began carefully, "you know that Skye loves you too, right? You're her mentor, her friend. The closest thing she's ever had to a mother."

May laughed ironically. "Don't be ridiculous, Phil. No one loves me." As soon as she said it, her bravado disappeared. Tears filled her eyes, and she cleared her throat loudly, turning her face from Coulson so she wouldn't have to see his pitying look. Still looking the other way, she flinched when she felt Coulson wrap his arms around her. She froze for a moment, then relaxed and embraced him tightly, closing her eyes and letting her tears fall.

Too soon, Coulson let go of her. "Good luck", he whispered. "Please be careful". May nodded, wiping her eyes, and began to lower herself into the pit. On her way down, she laughed at herself. She hadn't cried as much in years as she had in the past 24 hours. She had to admit, it felt nice to be embraced, to feel like someone cared. Her thoughts were interrupted as her feet touched dirt. "Alright, _Cavalry_," she muttered to herself, "time to save the day".

* * *

><p>Skye led Kara down the tunnel behind her. "I'll explain everything to them once we make it back to the entrance, don't worry, everything will be fine. Then, as soon as we get everything settled, I'll –" Skye gasped as Kara collapsed right behind her, unconscious. She whirled around, terrified to see her father, but relaxed when she saw May running towards her.<p>

"Are you alright?" May asked urgently. "She didn't try to hurt you did she? God, I knew we should've taken her out ages ago." Skye looked at May, perplexed. There was something in the older agent's gaze that she couldn't quite figure out. It was like May was searching her eyes for some hidden information. "Well?" May asked again, "Are you okay?"

Skye nodded. "Yes, May, I'm fine. But there was no reason to shoot Kara", she said, indicating the agent at her feet. "She's said she's not under Whitehall's control anymore. I was taking her back to you guys. But, May, what are you doing down here? It's way too dangerous…if Cal finds out you followed me–".

"It's a trap, Skye". May interrupted harshly. "This _Kara _is probably the one who set it. You're too damn trusting, Skye," May scolded. She began searching Kara's pockets and pulled out the form for the mask. May pulled it over her face, and she transformed into Cal. Skye gasped, and began to weep. May quickly pulled off the mask. She reached over to squeeze Skye's hand reassuringly. "C'mon, Skye", she said gently, "We should get back to the rest of the team. I'm sure Kara wasn't working alone".

Skye felt so stupid for being tricked by Kara. Thank goodness May had been there for her. Skye smiled; May was always there for her. Skye opened her mouth to thank her, when there was a gunshot from behind her, and May collapsed on the ground. Skye screamed, dropping to her knees to see if May was alive, when she heard a deep, familiar voice behind her say "She's fine, Skye…it was only an ICEr". Skye closed her eyes tightly, wishing, praying that this was just a terrible dream, when suddenly, right next to her, Ward said "I think we need to talk".


	9. Apologies

**Hello, my dears! So this chapter is mostly interactions between Skye and Ward. I tried to be realistic as to how this scene might play out with the characters' actual emotions and history together. I hope you enjoy! As always, please comment with any suggestions, compliments, or criticisms…you guys are what makes me a better writer! **

"How many times," Skye snarled, ignoring Ward's helping hand as she struggled to her feet, "do I have to tell you that I. Am. Not. Interested!?" Ward's smirk faded as she added: "I shot you. I meant to kill you. Does that not send the signal that I don't like you?" Skye tried to whip out her ICEr, but Ward disarmed her so quickly that she felt like a child. She flashed back to the first time they had trained together and he had taught her how to take away a gun from someone. She had felt the same way back then, though she had tried to make a joke out of it. Helpless.

"Skye, listen to me". Skye pasted a sarcastic _I'm-so-interested _expression on her face as Ward continued. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you, Skye, I'm sorry. Really. And I will do anything…_anything _to make it up to you. Raina was right. I thought I could make everything up to you by reuniting you with your father, but I guess that didn't work out. And Raina…well, she was right about the other part too," Ward said, suddenly shy as he glanced at the ground. Skye rolled her eyes, trying to hide her disgust. "What can I do to make you forgive me?" Ward whispered. "Please."

Skye just stared at him, shaking her head. "You know, it's not so much what you can do, as what you could've done. You could've never lied to us about being HYDRA, at least we would've known not to trust you from the beginning; you could've stood up to Garrett instead of trying to kill Fitzsimmons, then I might've had an ounce of respect for you; you could've _died _when I shot you, Ward, then I wouldn't have to try to kill you again. But if you're asking what you _could _do to make me forgive you, well I don't know much about forgiveness, but you could **leave me alone!**"

Skye was so angry, she didn't even notice the room shaking. The ground was trembling violently, and chunks of rocks were starting to fall from the ceiling. "Skye?...Skye!" Ward shouted, barely dodging a rock the size of his head, "What are you doing? You're going to kill somebody!" Without bothering to answer, Skye threw herself on top of May's body to protect her unconscious SO. She screamed as a boulder landed inches from her head. She faintly heard Ward yell "Skye!"

She closed her eyes tightly, willing the vibrations to stop. She would _not _be responsible for the death of another team member. "Please", she whispered, "Please stop". But the more upset she became, the harder the rocks rained down from above. It seemed like an hour before the downpour of rocks finally ceased, and just as she lifted her head from on top of May's, there was an earthshattering crack, and an enormous boulder made contact with her skull. Skye collapsed on top of May, unconscious.

* * *

><p>Skye blinked slowly, and she tried to sit up. "Whoa, there", said a gentle voice, and Skye felt warm hands stroking her hair, "You probably shouldn't sit up just yet…you've had a nasty bump to the head". She eased back into her former S.O.'s arms. It felt so nice, having Ward there to protect her – Ward. Skye began to shake with terror, and she felt Ward's arms tighten around her. "Easy, Skye", Ward said firmly, "we wouldn't to start another earthquake, right? Relax, Rookie…you're going to be okay."<p>

Skye took a deep breath, trying to ignore her massive headache as she analyzed the situation. She could hear gentleness and concern in Ward's voice as he tried to soothe her, but she also heard something else. Pride. The idiot actually thought that by saving her life, she would have no choice but to forgive him. _Oh well, _Skye thought, _might as well go along with that and see if I can get him to help me out a bit before I have to shoot him again. Well, I've always thought I could be an actress. It's showtime, my dear. _Skye forced herself to relax, letting Ward believe that she was comfortable with him…that she trusted him. She took a deep breath. "Ward?"

"Yeah? What do you need?" Skye could barely keep the look of disgust of her face when she heard Ward's gentle reply.

"Is May okay?" Skye held her breath, waiting for his response. If anything had happened to May, she'd never be able to live with herself.

"She's fine, Skye. She doesn't even have a scratch. You saved her. She's just sleeping off the effects of the ICEr". Skye exhaled, relief flooding her. Maybe May would be able to wake up and take out Ward before anything too scary happened. She didn't bother asking about Kara…no one was protecting _her _during the earthquake. A huge rush of guilt washed over Skye. Yet again, she was the cause of the death of an agent. Ward could sense what was bothering her, and gave her a small smile. "There's nothing you can do for her. Just rest now, Skye. Take it easy, okay?"

Skye murmured something incoherent, closing her eyes and willing herself not to vomit. As she laid in Ward's arms he began to talk to her, softly retelling stories of their past. Remembering the games of Battleship they shared, touring The Hub together, teasing Fitzsimmons, and gossiping about May. Skye took deep breaths, trying not to show how upset she was; how _dare _he talk about Fitzsimmons and May! He had tried to kill all of them. But she made herself listen to him, listen to those stories from the happiest time of her life. And all the while, she prayed for the strength to kill him.


	10. A Change of Plans

**Hey there, folks! As usual, I have no ownership of the Agents of SHIELD franchise. And also as usual, please continue to comment! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Coulson was pacing around the room. It had been hours since May had gone to look for Skye. Was she alright? He had felt the ground shaking, like a small earthquake. Could that have been Skye? Should he go in after them?<p>

"Sir!" he heard a familiar voice shout. He jumped, and turned around to find Simmons with Bobbi right behind her. "It's Skye's father, he –"

"Don't call him that!" Coulson interrupted sharply. When he saw Bobbi's raised eyebrows, he muttered "Sorry…go on".

"He's heading back towards here, sir!" Simmons cried. "We think he's going to try to find Skye!"

Coulson swore loudly, and buried his head in his hands. Should he send in more team members and risk them getting killed? No, he couldn't do that. "Okay, just keep monitoring his progress. I know he won't hurt Skye. May on the other hand…" he trailed off uncertainly.

"May?" Simmons cried. "What's she doing down there? It's dangerous!" Bobbi shot her a look as Coulson buried his head in his hands again.

"What have I done?"

* * *

><p>Skye stretched, wiggling herself out of Ward's arms. "Is it okay if I try to stand?" she asked. Ward nodded, smiling at her, and gently helped pull Skye to her feet. She swayed at first, leaning on Ward for support, but after a few moments, she began to walk around slowly to test out her balance.<p>

"You scared the hell out of me, Skye." Ward said quietly. "The rock that hit you was gigantic…I thought you would've broken your neck for sure."

"Yeah, I guess I'm just super-duper tough, then" Skye said, flashing a tense smile at Ward. She scowled inwardly, knowing that she was in no shape to be getting in a fight with him. She had a terrible headache and sense of balance…and was unarmed. She wobbled uneasily, and Ward grabbed her before she could fall.

"Sit back down, Skye", he ordered gently. "You shouldn't be moving around too much. At least wait until May wakes up. And besides, we still need to have that talk."

"Okay", Skye said, biting back laughter. _Does he actually think that when May wakes up we're just going to prance out of here hand-in-hand? So all I have to do is wait around for May to wake up and kill him for me? Deal. _"What did you want to talk about?"

"How's the team?"

Skye looked at him, speechless. She was so angry that she didn't even stop to filter her next words. "The team? As in S.H.I.E.L.D., the team you betrayed, and tried to have destroyed? Or as in Coulson's team, of which you tried to murder three members? We're fine, thanks for asking, because we actually have people who would die to protect us instead of killing off their friends to protect themselves." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she cursed herself for being such an idiot. She looked at Ward, bracing herself for an angry retort.

"I'm glad everyone's okay," Ward replied calmly, "And you're wrong about one thing, Skye. I would die to protect you. And anyone else on the team. I promise." Skye barely even registered the second part of his. _Everyone wasn't okay, _she thought sadly.

"Tripp died", she said, cutting him off.

"I'm sorry to hear that", Ward said. "He was a good guy". Skye nodded, blinking back tears, and cursing herself for showing weakness in front of him. _C'mon, May, wake up! _she thought fiercely. _Let's end this. _

As if in answer to her prayers, Skye heard a light moaning behind her. She jumped up to run over and check on may, but her head started spinning, and her vision blurred. Ward grabbed her around the waste, and said "Sit back down…let me check on her." Skye raised her eyebrows and laughed weakly.

"Probably not a great idea, Ward. I can handle it". She slowly made her way over to May, and leaned over her S.O.'s feebly stirring body. "May? Mayyy?" she called gently. "Are you alright?" She kept Ward in the corner of her eye as she roused May.

"Skye?" May asked weakly, "what's going on?" Skye bent down close to May's ear, her long hair shielding her face as she explained the situation. She paled as Skye described encounter with Ward. "Run, Skye…I can handle him. You just get out of here." May reached for her gun, and came up empty. Ward must have removed it along with the ICEr she had used to shoot Kara when she and Skye were unconscious.

"Not a chance, May". Skye whispered fiercely. "Neither of us are strong enough to take him on our own. I am not leaving you here, understood?" May nodded, and Skye grabbed her arms, pulling May carefully to her feet. The two agents embraced briefly, and Skye whispered "You go in for a direct attack, and I'll circle around until I get a chance to finish him, okay?"

May groaned softly, moving quietly towards Ward and muttered, "Let's finish this".

"Sounds like a plan", came a frighteningly calm voice from behind them. Skye screamed when she turned around and saw her father a few feet away, gun pointed at May. She didn't even have time to react before Cal pulled the trigger, and after a flash of motion and a yell, Skye saw two bodies fall to the ground. Before she could take a step towards them, May popped up from the ground, ICEr in hand, and shot Cal in the chest. He collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

Skye sobbed with relief as she ran over to May, who was kneeling on the ground next to Ward. As she got closer, she could see that Ward was bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound that looked extremely close to his heart. May was swearing angrily. "The stupid traitor shoved me out of the way…he took that bullet for me. What the hell was he thinking?" May shouted angrily. Ward's eyes fluttered, and he grinned weakly as he saw Skye leaning over him.

"Told you", he whispered. Skye forced a smile as she watched her former S.O. fade into unconsciousness. _He really is willing to die for me? For any of us? I guess he's taking this whole 'not lying' thing really seriously! _

Skye looked up at May. "What do we do now?" she asked desperately. May looked absolutely furious as she replied, "I suppose we'll have to save him".


	11. Loyalty and Trust

**Hello there, so this was originally the first half of a _really _long chapter, but I decided to just break it up into two decent-length chapters.**

**As always, please review-I love hearing from you guys! Enjoy!**

"Okay, Skye," May said urgently. "I'm going to go get Simmons. She's the only one other than your father who might be able to fix this. If anything bad happens, if your father wakes up and tries to hurt you, just run. We are not sacrificing you're safety for him" May said, jerking her head towards Ward.

Skye nodded as she watched May run through the tunnel. She stared around at the three bodies on the ground, two unconscious, one dead, and shuddered.

* * *

><p>"Okay", Coulson announced, finally lifting his head from his hands, "I'm going in there after them."<p>

"Sir, no!" Simmons cried, "You can't do that! I haven't even performed a health check on you yet! There is no way I'm letting you charge into that tunnel like this!"

"She's right, Coulson." Bobbi said firmly. "You're the director of SHIELD. You can't go around making impulsive, dangerous, emotional decisions. May is a professional…she's the best there is. They will be fine."

"You're right, Agent Morse", Coulson replied. "I amthe director of SHIELD, and as director, I can make these decisions if I want to. I am going after them…_now._" Everyone froze as they heard shouting from the tunnel.

"Coulson? Phil!"

"May" Coulson breathed, kneeling down next to the opening to the tunnel beneath. "May! Is everything alright? Where's Skye?"

"She's fine. She's still in the tunnel with the bodies. We need Simmons…we've got someone who needs serious medical attention." Coulson started to protest, "bodies?!" he yelled indignantly, but May cut him off. "Trust me on this Phil."

Simmons knelt down next to Coulson. "What happened? Oh my God, did something happen to Skye?"

"I said she's fine, Simmons". May said impatiently. "But I need you down here now. Someone was shot, pretty close to the heart, and I need you to help."

"Of course, Agent May" Simmons replied respectfully. Coulson began to strap her into the harness to lower her down. "Coulson, could you grab Fitz? I might need some assistance, and he's the only one here with medical training."

"No!" May shouted. "You're not bringing Fitz…trust me, it is _not _a good idea."

"May", Simmons said warily as Coulson began to lower her into the tunnel. "Who exactly am I going to be saving?"

"That's not important" May snapped. "Whoever it is, I need you to promise you will do your best to help, understand?" Simmons nodded and quietly apologized. "Good" May said tiredly as she began to lead Simmons down the tunnel.

A few minutes later, they came to the area where May had left Skye. "What on Earth happened here?" Simmons cried. "It looks like there's been an earthquake!"

"You could say that," May muttered tersely. When Skye saw Simmons approach, she jumped up and tackled her with a hug. Simmons smiled as she embraced her friend, but then entangled herself as May cleared her throat loudly.

"Right!" Simmons said hastily. "Who needs my help?"

Skye indicated Ward's barely breathing corpse, and Simmons paled. "N-n-no" she stammered. "I am not helping him. He deserves to die."

"Don't you think I want him dead too?" May barked. "But the son-of-a-bitch saved my life. So now I have to save his."

Simmons looked at May carefully. She had never seen the older agent like this. She was always so calm, so controlled. But it was clear that May would never forgive herself if she let Ward die while she was in his debt.

Simmons took a deep breath, and approached Ward, inspecting his wound. She raised her eyebrows when she lifted his shirt and noticed the three other partially-healed bullet wounds. "Okay, here's what we need to do…"

Nearly an hour later, Simmons sat back on her heels, exhausted. Her hands were covered with blood. "I've done what I can for now" she said shakily. "He should be stable enough to take back to the Bus, if that's what you want to do." May nodded and rose to her feet.

"Thank you, Jemma." The three agents all bent down and lifted Ward off the ground.

"Wait," Simmons said suddenly. "What about them?" she asked, indicating Cal and Kara.

"I've been thinking about it" Skye said slowly, "and there's nothing you can do for Agent 33. And I really don't want to take Cal back to the Bus…he's too dangerous. So we're going to get our team out of here safely, and then I'll crumble this place to the ground."

Simmons stared at Skye in shock. It was amazing how quickly a person could change in a matter of days.

"Are you absolutely sure?" May asked her young protégée?

When Skye replied, it was with a coldness and bitterness that surprised even her:

"Absolutely."


	12. Truths

**Here's the second part of what could've been a really long chapter. I've been writing like crazy lately, so expect the next chapter pretty soon! :) If you have been waiting for more Fitzsimmons scenes...they are coming, I promise!**

**Thank you to those who have been reviewing...your comments make my day! And are great motivation to keep writing!**

"Coulson, pull us up!" May yelled. "We've got an injured person with us, so you're going to have to do this slowly and carefully".

"Not a problem. I also have Fitz, Mack, Bobbi, and Hunter here…do you need me to send one of them down to help you out?" Coulson and Mack began lowering down the harnesses to lift the other agents.

"Phil", May hissed, "get Fitz out of here…now. I don't want him anywhere near this."

"Hey! What's the problem, May?" Fitz shouted, clearly offended. He tried peering into the pit to see what they were hiding from him. "Think I can't handle the sight of a little blood?"

"Phil!" Coulson heard the panic in May's voice, and grew even more concerned for his agents…_what had they gotten themselves into?_

"Alright!" Coulson yelled at her. "Hunter, Bobbi, take Fitz back to the Bus, okay?" The two agents each grabbed Fitz by an arm, and steered him out of the room. "Okay, May, head on up. The explanation for all this had better be good."

As the weary and bloodied agents came into view, Ward in their arms, Coulson's face darkened. "May", he said with a forced calmness, "what I just said about your explanation being good...it had better be one _hell_ of an explanation."

"We'll have time for an explanation later." May said unflinchingly as Coulson glared at her. "Mack, can you carry him? Go with Simmons, and do what she says." Mack nodded, taking Ward from May and Skye.

"Lead the way" he told Simmons.

The second they had left the room, Coulson turned on May and Skye. "What were you thinking?" he roared. "Do you know how dangerous he is? What are we supposed to do now? God, Skye, why do you have to be so damn soft-hearted? And May! What's gotten into you? How could you let her bring him back? I'm supposed to be able to trust you!"

Skye gasped and burst into tears. May marched over to Coulson and slapped him across the face. "Don't you _dare _speak to her like that!" she hissed. He stepped back, speechless.

Without another word to Coulson, May turned around and embraced Skye. "Are you still sure about this?" Skye took a quavering breath and nodded. May brushed a strand of hair out of Skye's eyes, then stood on tiptoe and gently kissed her trainee on the forehead. "Good luck." May glared at Coulson as she squeezed Skye's hand protectively. "When you're ready to have a civilized conversation, I'll be in my room." May turned on her heel and stomped out of the room.

Coulson was still fuming, but softened when he saw Skye leaning against the wall, tears streaming down her face. He walked over to her and hugged her tightly. His eyes filled with tears of sympathy as he felt her trembling against him. _The poor child_.

"I'm so sorry" she whispered tearfully, "this is my fault. If I wasn't so naïve or selfish…if I had just stayed here with you…or told you what was going on…then we wouldn't be in this situation."

"Hush, Skye" Coulson said gently, rubbing her back as she sobbed into his shirt. "I'm sorry for yelling; I didn't mean what I said. I'm just so worried. I don't want him to hurt anyone else. Ward being here now just complicates everything for us."

When Skye began to cry even harder, Coulson took a deep breath. It was time to be honest with the girl. "Skye. I'm not mad at you, I promise. It's just…you're like a daughter to me, Skye. And I would never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you. That's why I'm so upset about Ward being here…about being so close to you. That's all…I swear. I don't want you to _ever _believe that anything you do, any mistake you make, can stop me from loving you, understand?"

Coulson felt Skye freeze. He cursed himself as she unwrapped his arms from around his neck and stepped back, staring at him. _Damnit, _he thought, _May was wrong, Skye doesn't look at me like a father! I'm only her boss! I probably sound as creepy as Cal…or Ward! _ "Skye? Umm…I'm sorry…I didn't…didn't mean to…" Then her arms encircled him so tightly that he was struggling for breath. "Skye? I'm choking here, kid". Skye released him, half-laughing, half-sobbing.

"Thank you," she whispered, sounding happier than she had in ages. She grinned at him, a touch of the old carefree Skye back in her smile, "You know, of all the guys who have told me they love me lately, you're the only one that really matters." Coulson returned her smile, and took her hand to lead her out of the temple.

"Wait", she said. "There's something I've got to do. I'll be out in a minute." As he started to protest, she held up her hand. "It's okay, May knows what I'm going to do. And speaking of May…you two should probably straighten some things out."

Coulson laughed softly. After hugging Skye once more, he left the room to go find May. Skye watched him leave, waiting until he was a safe distance away. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Skye let her emotions overwhelm her: the fear and anger she felt looking at Ward and Cal; the love she felt for Coulson, May, and the rest of the team; and the sadness over losing a friend. She let them boil up inside her until she couldn't contain them any longer. She felt the ground tremble, a hundred times more violently then when she faced Ward a few hours ago, the floor cracked, and she jumped back just as the floor collapsed, and ran for her life as the temple of nightmares crumbled to dust.


	13. Words Unexpected

**Hey folks! This one is for the Fitzsimmons shippers out there :) And I threw I nice scene in there for the Huntingbird (I think that's the Bobbi/Hunter ship) fans as well. **

"Okay, Mack," Simmons commanded. "He should be pretty stable now. Would you mind staying here and watching him for a few minutes while I clean up?"

"Of course," Mack replied kindly. "In fact, why don't you take the night off? I'm sure you're exhausted…you've had one heck of a day. I'll let you know if anything happens."

"Thank you", Simmons sighed appreciatively. "I'll let Agent Morse…Bobbi know you're in here in case you want her to take a shift."

"Don't bother" Mack replied. "I've got this. Bobbi's got a bit of a temper issue when it comes to traitors…I'm not so sure Ward would still be breathing in the morning after Bobbi's watch."

"That's why I suggested her," Simmons mumbled under her breath. Mack looked at her questioningly, but Simmons shook her head with a small smile. "Thanks again for taking over, Mack. Good night." Mack smiled at her, and sat down in a chair next to Ward's bed as she left the room.

The instant Simmons closed the door behind her, she dissolved into tears. She couldn't believe she had been forced to save that monster's life! After everything he had done to the team…especially to her and Fitz. Simmons was so blinded by her tears that as she rounded the corner, she completely collided with another person.

They both screamed, then relaxed when they recognized each other.

"Fitz!" Simmons cried, turning her head away so he wouldn't see her tears. "What are you doing over here? I thought Bobbi and Hunter were with you."

Fitz was staring at the ground, embarrassed. "They were…I pretended to be sleeping for a while, then they decided to go…umm…_sleep…_somewhere else." Fitz lifted his head and looked stared at Simmons, agitated. "What the _hell _was up with May earlier? What didn't she want me to see? I'm not some weakling, you know, I just –" Fitz stopped as he saw the tears streaming down Simmons's face. "Jemma?" he asked softly. "Are you okay".

Simmons shook her head, unable to speak. Fitz's heart went out to her. For the first time in ages, he walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. They hadn't been this close to each other since they were trapped under water. Simmons smiled through her tears…it felt wonderful to have her best friend back.

* * *

><p>Hunter grinned lazily as Bobbi pulled herself off the bed and stretched. "I'm going to take a shower," he said, and she nodded.<p>

"I'll still be here." She flopped back on the bed as Hunter closed the door to the bathroom. As Hunter let the warm water run over his body, he thought about his relationship with Bobbi. There was really no hiding it that he was still completely in love with her. _Maybe it's time to give this marriage thing another shot, _he thought as he turned off the shower, _maybe I was a little immature about ending it the first time. _He wrapped a towel around his waist, and stepped out of the bathroom. He opened his mouth to bring up his idea to Bobbi, but froze when he heard:

"Okay, sweetie, talk to you later. Love you."

Hunter walked into the bedroom and said, "Sweetie? _Love you? _What the _hell _was that?" Bobbi paled, shoving her phone under the covers as if that would make it disappear. "Bobbi! Answer me! Is this a boyfriend? Or your new husband? What the hell is going on?"

"Stop it!" Bobbi screamed. "It's none of your business…just leave me alone!"

"None of my business?" Hunter asked sarcastically. "No not at all, except for the fact that I'm _sleeping with you! _I'm not going to ask you again…_**Who were you talking to?**_"

"Alex." Bobbi said in a tiny voice, avoiding Hunter's glare.

"_And who the hell is –_"

"Our daughter."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Simmons?" Fitz began gently, "I think it's time we finished that talk, okay?" Simmons nodded, and let Fitz lead her by the hand into their old lab area. He pulled out two chairs and sat down across from her. "First of all, what's wrong? I haven't seen you this upset since we were…since Ward…"<p>

When she heard Ward's name, Simmons began sobbing uncontrollably again. Fitz grew even more concerned. "Jemma, what happened?"

"It's Ward" she choked out. "He's the one I had to save. Fitz, I'm so sorry. I wanted to kill him, I really did. He doesn't deserve to live after what he did to you."

Fitz paled. "Ward? He's here?" When Simmons nodded miserably, Fitz let himself sink into the chair. Simmons continued to sob.

"Fitz, I'm so, so sorry. I'm sure you hate me. I broke our promise."

"Of course I don't hate you, Jemma. I could never hate you." Fitz said, looking tenderly at his closest friend. "But what was this about breaking a promise?"

"You…you don't remember?" Simmons asked. Fitz shook his head, looking confused. "It was right after you woke up from the coma. You were really upset, and kept yelling about your parents…monkeys…and me." Simmons paused to wipe the tears off her cheeks. Fitz was staring at her intently, hungry for information about this lost period of time.

"Most of the time we couldn't make sense of what you were saying" Simmons continued. "But one time, when I was visiting you, I promised that I would make Ward pay for what he did to you." Simmons took a deep shuddering breath. "For the first time since you woke up, you calmed down. You relaxed, and smiled at me. So I took that promise to heart. I swore to you, and myself, that I would kill him. And I had my chance, Fitz, but I couldn't do it! I'm so sorry!"

"Jemma, that wasn't me…I would never ask you to do that. You're not a killer, Jemma," Fitz said, as he reached out and held Simmons's hand. "You're a scientist, a beautiful, kind, brilliant person who knows how to save people."

Simmons smiled at him through her tears. "Thank you."

"You were going to tell me something earlier." Fitz reminded her. "Before Skye disappeared off our radar this morning."

"Right, of course." Simmons said worriedly. "About why I left." Fitz let go of her hands, and leaned back in his chair, bracing himself. "Fitz, for those nine days you were in the coma, you have no idea how much I tortured myself. I hated myself for not being able to save you. I was so scared that you would die, that I would be all alone, and I wouldn't even have a chance to say goodbye."

"And then you woke up" Simmons continued, "And I was so relieved. But like I said, you were different, always yelling. And you…you blamed me too. You said that it was my fault we got stuck down there, my fault for not talking Ward out of trying to kill us, my fault that I let you give me the oxygen. And I believed you…you were right; it was all my fault."

Fitz tried to speak, but Simmons shook her head violently. Now that she had started to talk, she couldn't stop. "The only time you would calm down around me was when I promised to kill Ward. So every time I visited you, I would have to describe my plans for killing him, or else you wouldn't let me near you. I hated myself for the things I was saying, so I left. I wasn't able to make you better, Fitz…I only made you worse. Because the calmer you were with me, the angrier you were with everyone else. I'm so sorry that I made you think I didn't accept you for who you are…it was myself that I couldn't accept."

"Why couldn't you have told me that, Jemma?" Fitz asked, tears streaming down his cheeks. When she just shook her head, wordless, he continued. "I'm so sorry I made you do that, Simmons. I'm sorry for not understanding…for not trusting you. It's not your fault –none of it is. I gave you that oxygen because I wanted to…because I love you."

**I hope ya'll enjoyed the chapter! I have a question for you! Would you like me to continue adding chapters to this story? I recently created an account through Wattpad and have been posting the story there as well, so if you're not super interested in my story, let me know, and I'll only post on the other site. But if there is even one person who wants me to continue here, I promise I will! :)**


	14. Memories

**This one is for all you Philinda shippers out there!...Enjoy! In case it isn't clear, the section in italics is a flashback.**

Coulson apprehensively approached May's room. Through the crack in the door, he could see her meditating on the floor with her eyes closed. He lifted his hand to knock, but before his knuckles made contact with the door, May said "Not now, Phil." Her eyes were still closed, but he could see her body tensing as she registered his presence.

Coulson sighed. "Listen, May, I –"

"Yes, you're sorry, I know. I _said _not now…I'll talk to you later," May snapped coldly.

Coulson took a deep breath and stepped into the room, ignoring her request. May opened her eyes and glared at him, and started to speak, but Coulson cut her off.

"Do you remember the night you were assigned to Bahrain?"

May stared at him, speechless. Of all the things she was expecting him to say, this was not one of them. "Phil, what's going on?"

"I asked you a question, May…Do you remem–"

"Of course I remember," she snapped. "I try not to, but yes, I remember the night that began the most traumatic experience of my life. Is there a point to you asking, or…?"

Coulson walked closer to May, and sat down on the carpet, facing her. "What about before that?" he asked intently. "Do you remember what our plans were for that night?"

A faint smile appeared on May's lips. "We were going to go dancing," she said softly. "To celebrate." Coulson nodded. Both agents paused, reflecting on their past.

_May and Coulson had been dating for six months after working together as partners for several years. They were taking it slow; May had wanted a more physical relationship, but she knew that Coulson was old-fashioned and she respected his desire to wait. That evening, he was taking her out to their favorite club in the Caribbean. He knew how much May loved dancing, and though he was a terrible dancer himself, he was willing to learn for her. He had just arrived at her apartment to pick her up, when she received a phone call from the newly appointed Director Fury. _

"_Hello?" May asked cheerfully, "How can I help you, Director?" She held up her index finger towards Coulson, indicating that it would only take a minute._

_Coulson sat down in a chair, as he watched his partner talk on the phone. She was wearing a beautiful emerald dress, and he just couldn't stop smiling at her. She was so elegant, but so full of life, and so–_

"_What?" Coulson snapped out of his reverie as he heard May's voice change. "Tonight?... but, I…of course I understand, Director, but…" May sighed deeply, then closed her eyes and said "Yes, Director, I'll be ready." _

_May slammed down the phone, her face stony. Coulson jumped up and wrapped an arm around her. "What's wrong, Mel?"_

"_Nothing," she said curtly, in a tone Coulson had never heard her use before, but would become used to in the following years. "Everything's fine. I just have to leave for a mission in Bahrain…tonight."_

"_Tonight?" Coulson asked agonizingly, "But can't it –"_

"_Wait?" May interrupted. "Yeah right." She sighed deeply as she saw her friend's disappointed look. She reached out to squeeze his hand. "I'm sorry, Phil, really." She took a deep breath, then stood up. "I'd better get dressed; I don't think this is a mission-style outfit." She smiled at him, then disappeared into her bedroom. Coulson sat at the table for a few more minutes before walking out of her apartment without saying goodbye._

* * *

><p>Skye reached the Bus, panting. She was still shaking, whether from fear or from the aftereffects of her earthquake, she couldn't tell. She took a deep breath, holding it in for ten seconds…twenty…then releasing it slowly.<p>

As she headed back to her bunk, she passed by a room where she saw Mack trying very hard not to fall asleep in his chair. She approached the door, ready to give him a bit of a scare, when she saw Ward lying on the bed next to Mack's chair. Skye considered turning her back and running back to her bunk, but knew that she was going to have to have this conversation at one point or another.

She knocked softly on the door, and Mack jerked up, looking around wildly. Skye smiled at the exhausted agent. "Go to bed, Mack" she said gently, "I can take over for now." The older agent was too tired to argue, he smiled tiredly at Skye on the way out and squeezed her shoulder in thanks.

Skye plopped herself down in Mack's empty chair. It was time to wait.

* * *

><p>"Phil?" May looked at Coulson with concern; he was staring at her very intently. He jumped when he heard his name. He glanced up at her as she continued, "What does this have to do with anything? That was years ago. Are you feeling guilty about not saying goodbye? I understand, you were upset we missed our date…I was upset too, but–"<p>

"I was going to propose to you that night" Coulson said in a whisper.

May gaped at him. "What?" Her eyes were wide as she stared at him in disbelief.

"I had everything planned out, the song we would have just finished dancing to, the time when the sun would be setting, everything."

With tears in her eyes, May smiled up at him. "What was the song?" she whispered, knowing he would remember.

"It would've been right after _Maybe I'm Amazed_, and right before _Faithfully._ I couldn't decide between the two, so I decided to put the proposal _between _the two." He smiled weakly at her, hoping she would appreciate his joke.

She laughed softly, hiding her pain behind a smile. "Oh, Phil."

He gazed at May, and continued with his story. "After Bahrain, you wanted some time to yourself, which was fine. I didn't want to push you, or make you feel like I was proposing out of pity. But then you took that desk job, and married that idiot, Stan."

May raised her eyebrows, not sure whether to be offended or amused. "And as I recall, you had quite the relationship with a certain cellist."

Coulson shrugged, saying "Well neither of those really worked out for us, now did they?"

May shook her head with a faint smile. "But Phil, why are you bringing this up today? That was a long time ago, and it's far too late to revisit that relationship." She watched him closely, hoping he would disagree.

"I know," Coulson said, and May's eyes filled up with tears. "That time has long since passed. But earlier, when you said that no one loves you, it made me upset because you are a beautiful, wonderful, loveable person. You were all those years ago, and you still are today. And if you ever choose to leave this life behind and spend the rest of your life with someone, he will be the luckiest man in the world."

The tears were streaming down May's cheeks as Coulson finished his speech. Coulson leaned over and kissed May gently on the forehead, the same way she had kissed Skye an hour earlier. He wiped away a few of her tears, and whispered "Goodnight, Mel" as he left the room.


	15. Talking it Out

**Hi everyone! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to post this...I've been super busy with finals, and had a bit of a writers block. But hopefully the chapter is worth the wait! I promise to have the next chapter out soon! As always, please comment with any suggestions/criticisms/complements! Enjoy! :)**

Hunter sat down on the bed, speechless. Bobbi started to speak, but Hunter waved her off, finally finding words: "Our daughter." Bobbi nodded apprehensively. "_Our _daughter, as in a child that we made together."

Bobbi forced a laugh. "That's usually how it works, isn't it?"

"How it usually _works_, Bobbi, is the mother _**tells**_ the father when they are about to have a child!"

"You were the one who filed for divorce, Lance! There was no reason you should know about her!"

"I fathered her, damnit!" Hunter yelled. "Does she know anything about me? Or did you make up some lie about how I died doing something heroic so she wouldn't have to be ashamed of me?!"

For the first time in their relationship, Bobbi was scared. She had always been the one in charge, the responsible one, the sane one. She wasn't used to Lance standing up to her, but for some reason, it made her respect him more.

"Well?" Hunter demanded.

Bobbi looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Would you like to meet her?"

* * *

><p>Simmons stared at her partner, struggling to find words. "Oh Fitz," Jemma whispered. "When…Why…?"<p>

"Since you had that virus a couple years ago. When you jumped out of the plane, I couldn't think about anything other than how hard my life would be without you. I was ready to jump out of the plane, and if you had d-died before I got to you, I don't think I would've released my parachute. I can't live without you, Jemma."

Simmons gasped, and covered her mouth with her hands. She couldn't bear to hear Fitz talking about killing himself, especially after he had come so close to doing so when he saved her in the ocean. Too emotional to speak, she stood up clumsily, and tried to leave the room, but Fitz grabbed onto her arm, and gently made her sit.

"Jemma, do you love me?"

Simmons buried her head in her hands, sobbing "Don't make me answer that, Fitz, I can't."

"Jemma, I have to know. If you don't…it's okay. I'll be okay." He looked up at her hopefully. "But if you do…we could be happy together. Forever."

Simmons took a deep breath, and looked into her best friend's eyes. She sighed deeply. "I don't know, Fitz. You've always been the kindest, most supportive, most loyal friend I could ever imagine. And I love you like a friend, I really do." She gave him a small smile.

"Fitz, I never considered having anything more between us. For one thing, May and Coulson would kill us…people like us aren't supposed to have families. We're agents, Fitz. We could die any day."

Fitz bowed his head, saddened by her response. Simmons continued in an agitated tone: "And even if we don't, what happens if it doesn't work out? I don't want to end up like May and C–…Ward."

Fitz raised his eyebrow at his partner. "Were you about to say May and Coulson?"

"No, of course not!" Simmons said, blushing furiously. "May and Ward…because, you know, they were a couple…kind of…and Ward betrayed us!"

"Jemma, you're a terrible liar." Though he was still upset she had refused to admit any feelings for him, he was curious about their superior agents. "You would've used Skye and Ward as your example. You were going to say Coulson. What's wrong with May and Coulson?"

"Nothing." Jemma murmured. "Forget it."

* * *

><p><em>It was Fitz's seventh day in the coma. After sitting by his bedside for the last ten hours, Jemma finally stood up, stretching her sore muscles. She kissed Fitz on the cheek, and whispered "See you tomorrow" before leaving the room. <em>

_As soon as she closed the door, she let the tears flow down her face. She was careful not to cry when she was visiting Fitz, because she knew he could hear her, and she didn't want to upset him. She was exhausted mentally and physically. She had barely slept over the past week; she had spent every waking hour with Fitz, talking to him, begging for him to wake up. Simmons leaned against the wall, taking gulping breaths as she sobbed. _

"_At least he's alive" came a quiet voice from a few feet away. Simmons jumped, and seeing May standing a few feet away, wiped her eyes furiously._

"_Hello, Agent May" Simmons said with a pathetic attempt to appear calm. "How are you this evening?"_

"_We're off the clock, Jemma." May said gently. "You can call me May." Simmons nodded, and continued to brush tears out of her eyes. "You're an incredibly strong young woman," May told the young scientist. "Fitz is lucky to have someone like you there for him."_

"_Oh, May." Simmons cried miserably. "What am I supposed to do? I miss him so much."_

_May put her arm around the sobbing agent. "Like I said, at least he's alive. You don't know what it's like to have someone you love more than anything in the world die. And you don't even get a chance to say goodbye. It's hell, Jemma." _

_Simmons looked up at the older agent. "Who did you lose, May?" she asked gently._

"_Coulson." May said quietly. "And even though he's alive now, I've never gotten over it." May squeezed Jemma's hand tightly and said firmly, "Now you get some sleep…that's an order."_

"_Yes, May."_

* * *

><p>"Fitz, please try to understand," Simmons pleaded. "I came so close to losing you, to having to spend the rest of my life without my best friend. You have no idea what that feels like. During those nine days you were in the coma, and all throughout your recovery, all I ever wished for was for you to be okay."<p>

Simmons paused, making sure Fitz was listening. "Is it okay to just stay friends for now? Maybe one day I will realize I've loved you all along, or maybe you'll realize you never really loved me. But for now, I just want my best friend back."

"Okay," Fitz said softly. "I can live with that." With an impressive attempt at sounding cheerful, Fitz said "How about we do something together that friends would do? Watch a movie together, maybe?"

Simmons smiled at him happily, "That sounds perfect."

* * *

><p>Skye shifted in the chair once again. Watching over an unconscious agent sure was boring. <em>When is he going to wake up?! <em>Skye thought crossly. I need to get this over with.

She jumped as she heard a cheerful voice over the comms: "Will Agents Morse, Hunter, Mack, Coulson, May, and Skye please report to the sitting area?" Skye raised her eyebrows. She hadn't heard Simmons sound so happy in months. Skye sighed, glancing at Ward who was showing no signs of waking.

"Catch you later" she muttered to the unconscious agent before leaving the room.

Five minutes later, all the agents were sitting on the sofa together, looking expectantly at Simmons. The biochemist beamed at them, saying "Now we've all had a very stressful past couple of days, and I think it's time we have some team bonding to cheer us up!"

The agents all looked around at each other, slightly confused. "Fitz and I decided we should all watch a movie together!" Simmons continued excitedly. Fitz mumbled something under his breath, but shook his head when Mack looked at him questioningly.

"A movie sounds like a great idea" Skye said, smiling at her friend. "How about Captain America?" Coulson grinned at her, but Simmons shook her head.

"Nope! Nothing super-hero-y. We're going to watch a Disney movie!"

"How about Mulan?" Skye suggested. Coulson shot a look at May, who was glaring at her protégée.

"How about not?" May snapped. Many of May's superior agents had called her Mulan back in the day, before the nickname had been replaced with The Calvary.

"What about 'The Lion King'?" Bobbi suggested. "That was my favorite movie as a kid."

"Any objections?" Simmons asked, looking around. When no one spoke up, she jumped up to grab the movie. "The Lion King it is!"

The eight agents all situated themselves around the T.V. as the movie began. Fitzsimmons sat together on the sofa, Simmons's head leaning on Fitz's shoulder. May sat on the floor, her back against a chair, eyes closed. She smiled as she heard Coulson laughing at the banter between Zasu and Simba. For some reason, Phil had always identified with the stuffy bird. Mack was perched on a stool, watching Bobbi and Hunter, who were talking quietly together and holding hands.

Skye was curled up in the loveseat by herself. She had been pretty calm that day, but as Mufasta's death scene approached, she began to feel angry. She had always considered Scar the most evil of all villains because he had murdered his own brother.

_He's just like Ward_ she thought bitterly. Then an even scarier idea came to mind. _Just like me! _she thought, her breaths becoming more rapid. _I killed my father! I'm the bad guy. Oh my god, what have I done? _Panicked, Skye suddenly jumped up and ran from the room. Coulson made to get up and follow her, but May put her hand on his leg to stop him. "Let her be" she muttered. "She just needs some time; she'll be okay."

Coulson uneasily sat back down, and he watched Timon and Pumba stumble across poor Simba who had passed out in the desert. He smiled slightly, and mouthed to May "that's us!" She raised an eyebrow in amusement and nodded.

* * *

><p>Taking a minute to compose herself, Skye reached Ward's room. For the first time in ages, she felt like she had more in common with her former S.O. than with anyone else on the team. She quietly walked in, and was surprised to find him awake and looking around.<p>

"You were right." She said abruptly, startling him. "We do need to talk."


	16. Tying Loose Ends

**This one is Ward-centric...with a tiny bit of a plot twist near the end. Enjoy!**

Ward tried to sit up, but gasped and grabbed his abdomen. He grimaced as Skye sat down heavily on his bed. He attempted to smile at her, saying "What's up?"

Skye raised her eyebrows coldly. "'What's up?' That's the best you can come up with?" Before Ward could respond, she shook her head violently. "Never mind. Forget it, we have more important things to talk about."

Ward looked into Skye's brown eyes and noticed for the first time how tired she looked. She had lost weight, and her hands were trembling. He reached out slowly and touched her hand. "Are you okay?"

Skye jerked her hand back and stood up. "Says the guy lying in the hospital bed! I'm not the one who has been shot four times in the past week! I'll be the one asking the questions, understand?"

Ward nodded, but continued to watch Skye with an expression of concern.

"So," Skye continued. "I'm going to assume you will be truthful about everything…" Ward nodded, confirming this. "Did you kill your family?"

Ward looked surprised. "Yes, I did. But you already knew that" he said carefully. "What happened, Skye?"

"Nothing" Skye said sharply. "You don't get to ask questions." She took a deep breath, and asked "How do you live with yourself?"

Ward sighed, looking at her sadly. "Unfortunately, it's not any different than living with yourself after taking another life…Or trying to," he added after a moment.

Skye blushed, recognizing his point, but glared at him and said "You're wrong. It is different…I mean, it _should _be, right? I…" she broke off, unable to continue. She wanted to confide what she was feeling to someone, but didn't think her team would understand, and _definitely _didn't want to have a sympathy session with Ward.

"Skye?" Ward asked gently. "What happened?" When she shook her head, Ward looked at her pityingly. "Okay, you don't have to tell me. But I can see that something's bothering you…maybe you've realized that we're more alike than you think. Or that if you were in my situation, you would've made the same decisions as me."

"Never," Skye hissed. "I never would've betrayed my team."

"Skye, listen to me." Ward said, and something in his voice made Skye pause. She held her tongue as he continued.

"Imagine you are a scared, weak, abused teenager. Your family, whose job is to care for you has done nothing but torment you." Ward paused, looking at Skye to make sure she was listening.

"Then, someone shows up and teaches you to protect yourself…gives you a purpose, something worth living for. And then you find out that person is dying." Ward looked at Skye with pain in his eyes.

"And in order to save them, you have to go undercover with a team of agents to find something to save him. And in the end, you have to leave them, because they are just a mission…the person who you were working for all along is the only one that really matters."

For the first time Ward broke his eye contact with Skye. "Except that's where I went wrong. Garrett wasn't the only one that mattered to me. You did too...a lot. And even though you may deny it, I think I mattered to you."

Ward hesitantly raised his gaze to look at Skye, who was trying not to cry. "And for that, I'm sorry. By letting myself get close to you, I broke both of our hearts in the end."

Skye just looked at him, shaking her head, unable to find words. "Skye?" Ward asked in a whisper. "What if you were that scared little kid? And what if it was Coulson that saved you…and was dying? Wouldn't you have done the same thing...Wouldn't you have done anything to save him?"

"Probably," Skye said with a sigh. "But if I did, I sure as _hell _wouldn't have looked to the people I betrayed for forgiveness, especially after I tried to kill them!" She walked to the door, and paused before opening it. "Thank you for saving May…I don't know what I would do without her."

Ward smiled at her cautiously, but Skye turned away. "As soon as Simmons gives the all clear, we're dropping you off somewhere far, far away. You'd best forget about me, Ward. I will never understand you, I will never forgive you, and I will never, _ever_ love you."

Skye exited the room, slamming the door behind her. With a noise of anguish, Ward sunk back on his pillows. _Why can't I make her understand? We're so similar…why can't she love me?_

Ward was startled once again by the sound of the door opening. As Simmons entered, Ward was even more surprised to see Fitz standing close behind her, holding a small device. Ward's heartrate picked up…the last time he had been near Fitz, the young engineer had tried to kill him.

"Simmons" Ward croaked. "Thank you. I didn't deserve to be saved…and I'm sure you didn't want to help me, but thank you." Simmons ignored him as she began taking his pulse.

"Fitz," Ward said to the Scottish agent who was standing in the corner, staring at him. "I meant what I said before…I didn't want to hurt you. I'm so sorry…I –"

"Shut up." Simmons snapped at him, in a harsh tone very uncharacteristic for her. "Don't you _dare _speak to him!"

Ward raised his hands in surrender as Fitz took a step toward him. "It's okay, Jemma" he said softly. He looked at Ward, emotionless. "You were my friend, Ward. I tru…trusted you…even after Skye told us you were HYDRA, I didn't want to believe her. You were like my big brother, Ward. And you betrayed me…tried to kill me."

On the word _brother_, Ward closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry" he whispered, repeating himself over and over, just like Christian had at the well. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Tommy, I'm sorry."

Fitzsimmons shared a brief glance at the mention of the unknown Tommy, then Simmons grabbed the small device and held it up in front of Ward.

"Quiet." She commanded. "This here is a bomb…a very special type of bomb." Ward's eyes widened, and he tried to scooch away from Simmons.

"Relax, it's not for you," Simmons said, rolling her eyes. "The bomb goes onto Skye."

She pulled a small chip out of her pocket. "_This _is for you. It's a sensor, to tell us where you are at all times. We'll be implanting it in you tomorrow, before you leave. It is a counterpart to the bomb…how it works, is if you come within a certain distance of Skye…the bomb goes off. Skye dies."

Ward gaped at Simmons. "You're bl…bluffing." He stammered. "You'd never do something that could hurt Skye."

"And neither would you," Simmons replied. "So stay away from her, and she'll be the safest person in the world."

She turned to leave, with Fitz right behind her. "This wasn't our idea," the British agent said quietly before pulling the door shut behind her. "It was Skye's."


	17. Night

**Hey everyone! So this chapter has kind of a darker, more depressing feel to it, but I think the events of the chapter are important, and something I would love to see the show address. The flashback scene takes place shortly before Ward meets Garrett (in other words, right after he set his parents' house on fire) Enjoy!**

After hours of tossing and turning, Ward finally gave up on his attempt to sleep. He allowed his mind to wander away from Skye's pale angry face towards a scene just as painful…

_A seventeen-year-old Grant Ward knocked on the door to Lemma Mental Care Hospital_. _An elderly nurse opened the door and smiled at him. _

"_How can I help you, dear?" Ward stared at his feet nervously, and mumbled something under his breath. _

"_I'm sorry, dear, could you speak up please?"_

"_I'm here to visit Thomas…Thomas Ward." Grant looked up at the nurse pleadingly._

"_I'm sorry, young man, but patients here can only be visited by a member of their family. Thomas's whole family was here to visit a few hours ago."_

_Ward bit his lip…he could feel the heat rising to his face from anger and embarrassment. "Please, ma'am" he said politely. "I'll only be a little while."_

_The nurse looked at him carefully. "Alright, dear. You have ten minutes."_

_Ward nodded at her, a rare smile appearing on the teenager's face. He followed the nurse into the hospital, and hesitantly approached the door with his brother's name on it. He opened the door slightly, and froze when he saw the dark-haired boy huddled on the bed, mumbling to himself. _

"_Hi, Tommy" he said softly. Tommy turned around and looked at him, complete confusion etched in the premature lines of his teenage face. "It's me, buddy" Ward said softly. "It's your brother, Grant."_

"_Gr…Gr…Grannnt?" Tommy asked, appearing to struggle with the effort of speech._

"_Yeah, Tommy." Ward whispered, trying to keep his voice from breaking. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"_

"_B…big bro…bro…"Tommy, growing frustrated with his inability to communicate with his brother, took one of his hands and began hitting himself in the head._

"_Stop it! Stop!" Ward cried, grabbing his brother's hands, and forcing him down on the bed. Tommy, exhausted, instantly fell asleep. _

_Ward bowed his head, and began to cry over his little brother's sleeping body. "I'm_ _sorry," he sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Tommy, I'm sorry. This is my fault…I was supposed to protect you. But I was so scared, Tommy. I'm so weak." _

_He heard the nurse's approaching footsteps, and hastily wiped his eyes. "I'll make them pay, Tommy, I promise."_

"_Oh, dear, the poor boy seems to have tired himself out" the nurse said, walking through the door. "If you want to come visit again, why don't you try coming in with his family. His parents are a lovely couple, and they have a son who's only a couple years older than you!"_

_Ward nodded, forcing a smile onto his face. On his way out of the door, then before he could lose courage, he asked: "Is he going to get better?"_

_The nurse smiled at him sadly, "I don't know, dear. Brain injuries, especially ones from drowning, can be almost impossible to heal."_

_Ward nodded dejectedly. "But don't give up hope, dear. I'm sure he still has a bright future ahead of him, with a friend as good as you." _

_Ward blinked his eyes rapidly, then muttered a quick 'thank you' before running out the door._

* * *

><p>Coulson laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was past midnight, but he just didn't feel like sleeping. <em>Maybe I should try Tai Chi, <em>he thought wryly.

Suddenly a piercing, terrified scream ripped through his room.

_Skye! _Coulson thought with a jolt. He jumped out of bed, pulling on a t-shirt, and ran down the hall. He burst through the door, only to find May already there, holding the shaking agent in her arms. She was stroking Skye's hair gently, and murmuring to her comfortingly. "Shh…it's okay, Skye. It's okay, child."

May looked up and saw Coulson standing at the door, panting, with a look of extreme concern on his face. She smirked at him and whispered, "You're shirt is on inside out." Coulson looked down, and released a small laugh. "Go to bed, Phil" May said gently. "I've got this."

Coulson stepped into the room, shaking his head. "I wasn't sleeping anyway" he said softly, looking down at the sleeping young woman in May's arms. "Besides," he continued. "You don't seem like the singing a lullaby type."

"And you are?" May asked, raising her eyebrows.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Agent May."

"Clearly," the Asian agent replied, but she scooted over, allowing Coulson room to sit next to her on the bed. The two of them sat there in silence, keeping vigil over their surrogate daughter.


	18. Pity

**Hello my dears! Sorry it's taken so long for me to update! I've been a little bit lazy lately :P I'll definately try to get the next chapter out sooner! The song lyrics are from Stay with Me by Sam Smith. Enjoy!**

The two friends stayed with Skye for the next hour, rubbing her back and whispering comforting thoughts to her. After a while, May looked over at Coulson and noticed he was having a hard time staying awake. She poked him gently and he jumped. She smiled at him and said, "C'mon, Phil. She'll be okay now. We should probably try to get some sleep."

Coulson nodded and stood up, looking down at the sleeping Skye. "Look at her," he said to May, the pain evident in his voice. "She's so young, and has felt so much pain. The poor child." May reached out to squeeze Coulson's hand, but he moved his arm away, and walked out of Skye's room. May followed him, frowning.

"What was that about?" May asked.

"I don't need your pity, May." Coulson said angrily.

May opened her mouth, ready to fight back, then thought better of it and sighed sadly. She looked up at Coulson, "I know this is hard for you, Phil. It's hard for all of us, especially Skye." She gazed at him intensely, "Believe it or not, there is one good thing that came from discovering the city and the Diviner."

Coulson looked at her skeptically, "and what's that?"

May gave him a small smile, "I didn't have to kill you." She brushed a tear away from her cheek, and tried not to let her voice break. "Because I never would have forgiven myself if I did."

"I'm glad you didn't have to kill me as well," Coulson said softly. "I didn't realize it was haunting you so much. I know we had a past, May, but you moved on from me then, and I thought you could do it again now."

May laughed quietly, "I never moved on, Phil. You were the only person I ever truly loved." She continued in a whisper so quiet, Coulson would've thought he imagined her next words if he hadn't seen her mouth move: "And I still do."

Coulson backed away from her, looking afraid. "If you wanted to," she said gently, "we could try again."

Coulson looked at her and, for the first time in ages, saw the Melinda May he had fallen in love with all those years ago. "I want to," he said, and he saw a beautiful smile appear on her face.

"But we're on the same team", he continued. "Our friendship alone is already making our work too personal. It's not setting a great example for the other agents. If we were together, then they might all think it was okay."

May looked at him incredulously. "Are you kidding?" she asked. "It's no secret that Bobbi and Hunter are sleeping together, half the team knew that Ward and I were sleeping together, and it's only a matter of time before Fitzsimmons get together. I think the only one that hasn't had a relationship with a team member is Mack."

"And Skye," Coulson added quickly.

May raised her eyebrows. "Did you forget that her and Ward were a couple?"

Coulson gaped at her. "You're joking…tell me you're joking. _How did I not know?_"

"Breathe, Phil" May said, amusement creeping into her voice. "Skye said they'd only kissed twice before she found out he was Hydra, and after that, everything that happened was her trying not to blow her cover."

"She told you about this? God, she was actually interested in that monster? Oh my God," he said, looking panicked.

"Relax, Phil." May took his hand, trying to calm him down. "She's an adult…she can make her own decisions." She put her other hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "And so are we. I know we can do this."

He smiled at her, and seemed about to agree, but then a dark look came over his face, and he snapped at her.

"What are you playing at, May? I _said _I don't need your pity!" He turned away from her angrily, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back forcefully.

"Who said anything about pity?" she hissed. "Is it so impossible to believe that _the Cavalry_ can actually love someone? You think I'm just saying this to make you feel better about yourself? I'm not you, Coulson!"

Coulson stared at her, surprised. "May, I know you're capable of love. I just saw it back there, when you were comforting Skye." He looked at her ashamedly "I just didn't think it was possible for you…or anyone…to love me."

"And why not?" she asked coldly.

When she raised her eyebrows, waiting for an explanation, he said "I _died_, May! Who could ever want to be with a dead man?"

"You're not dead, Phil" May whispered to him, her gaze softening. "You're very much alive." Very slowly, she walked up to him, and standing on tiptoe, she pressed her lips against his. Coulson froze in shock, but after a moment, he relaxed, gently returning her kiss. The tears rolling down each of their cheeks mixed, making their kiss taste of salt.

When they finally pulled away, May blushed and murmured "Good night". Coulson watched her walk back to her room. He gazed after her, lost in thought. Nearly fifteen minutes later, a quiet voice from behind him made him jump.

"Coulson?" He turned around to find Skye leaning in her doorway. Her eyes were red, and her hair was a mess. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I…I was just about to…go work out." Coulson stammered unconvincingly. "You should probably get back to bed…you look exhausted."

Skye smiled weakly at him. "Sleep wasn't going too well. I'm going to take a shower, and maybe I'll join you in the workout area."

"Okay," Coulson said. "Why don't you use the shower in the bathroom connected to my room? It's a little bit more comfortable than the one you and Simmons share."

"Thanks, Coulson" Skye yawned. "See you later."

As he headed downstairs to the training room, Skye stepped back in her room to grab some clothes. She walked towards Coulson's room shaking her head vigorously to try to rid herself of the terrible images she saw in her dreams. She considered stopping in May's room, but decided she wasn't in the mood for a conversation. She just needed a way to release all her emotions.

A couple minutes later, Skye arrived at Coulson's bedroom door. She hesitantly stepped in, looking around. She grinned when she saw the Captain America poster that hung above his bed. Aside from a few very cool Avengers artifacts, Coulson's room looked fairly normal.

As she was passing through his room to get to the shower, she stubbed her toe on something sticking out from under the bed. Swearing quietly, she bend down to see what it was. To her surprise, she pulled out a guitar.

"No way," she whispered, sitting down on the bed and pulling the guitar into her lap. She strummed a chord, smiling. She hadn't touched a guitar in years, since one of her foster parents paid for her lessons. She'd picked up guitar very quickly, but after the family arrangement didn't work out, she'd stopped taking lessons.

She cleared her throat softly and began to sing along with the chords:

_Why am I so emotional?_

_No it's not a good look, gain some self control_

_And deep down I know this never works_

_But you can lay with me so it doesn't hurt_

_Oh, won't you stay with me?_

_'Cause you're all I need_

_This ain't love it's clear to see_

_But darling, stay with me_

At the end of the chorus, she broke down into tears. Her chest was heaving with sobs, and she was finding it hard to breathe. Holding her stomach, Skye stood up, sliding the guitar back under the bed. She grabbed her clothes to head to the shower, when she saw a slight movement in the doorway.

"Hey," May said gently. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" Skye muttered. "Just going to take a shower."

May nodded slowly, "Have you seen Coulson?"

"He said he was going to work out. Why?"

"No reason," May said casually. She cleared her throat loudly, changing the subject, "Take your shower…wash those tears away. During training today, we're going to try something new, okay?"

"Okay."


	19. Not Alone

**Hey everyone! So, I've been super busy lately and haven't had time to write nearly as much as I've wanted to. This chapter is kinda short, and doesn't have much action, but I hope you like it anyway! Please remember to comment/yell at me to update more! :) Enjoy!**

Skye pulled her hair up into a messy bun, then jogged down to the workout room where May was busy beating the crap out of a punching bag.

"May?" Skye asked loudly. "Is this a bad time?"

May turned around, looking at her young student. The older woman was covered in sweat, but her breathing was very controlled. "There's been a change of plans, Skye," she said to the young woman. "Fitzsimmons want to run some tests on you."

Skye paled slightly. "Um…does this have to happen?"

May sighed and placed her hand on Skye's shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry. Whatever they find, we'll use it to help us."

Skye nodded resignedly. "Okay…Can we still train later?"

May raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

* * *

><p>Skye approached the door to the lab; she could see Fitz, Simmons, and Mack all standing together, in the middle of what looked to be a heated conversation. Mack seemed to be lecturing the two scientists about something. Fitzsimmons were huddled together, looking embarrassed.<p>

Skye knocked lightly on the glass door. Simmons was the first to notice, and she looked up at Skye before blushing and breaking eye contact. She lightly shoved Fitz toward the door, and he frowned back at her as he went to open it.

"H-hi, Skye" Fitz muttered as she walked through the door. "So we're…we're, uh…just going to run some tests, okay?"

"Sure" Skye sat down on a stool and looked expectantly at Simmons.

"We're just going to need some blood samples, along with measuring your heart rate and brain waves" Simmons said brightly. Skye nodded, but she couldn't help but noticing Simmons' hands shaking as she moved to poke Skye with the needle.

"Simmons? Jemma?" Skye asked, "Everything alright?"

"Yes, fine!" Simmons replied, "I think I might've just had too much coffee this morning." Skye shot a doubting look at her friend. Simmons was a _terrible _liar.

"Here, Fitz, why don't you do it?" the British agent asked, glancing pleadingly at her partner.

"Um…I don't…don't think that's a good idea," Fitz stammered. "I…um…had some coffee too, this morning."

Skye opened her mouth to ask what the deal was, when Mack shouted angrily, "Both of you…get out! You disgust me."

Fitzsimmons blushed deeply, and murmuring apologies, left the room.

"Pathetic." Mack growled as he picked up the needle. "Hey," he said, his tone softening as he saw Skye's eyes fill with tears, "Don't worry about it…they're just concerned about you."

"No," Skye cried, her voice filled with emotion, "They're scared of me. Everyone's scared of me." Skye began to rock back and forth, arms wrapped around her knees. "Cal was right…no one understands me now."

Mack put his hand against her cheek and forced her to look up at him. "I do." Skye looked at him, her eyes full of doubt. He continued, "You saw what that place turned me into…I was a monster…I tried to hurt all of you."

Skye gave him a watery smile, but shook her head sadly. "I'm not the same, Mack. I killed my father. I know he's a terrible person, but that's no excuse. And I killed an innocent agent…on accident, but still, it was my fault! And now, I'm attaching this bomb system to Ward, which is pretty much suicide since I know he'll come back after me."

Skye turned away from Mack's pitying gaze. "No wonder they're scared of me. They probably think I can hurt them just as easily as I hurt my own family."

He helped Skye stand up from the stool. "Listen to me: you are not a bad person. You're experiencing some changes, yes, but you are still the same Skye we all consider a little sister, understand?"

Mack shook his head. "You have got to stop thinking like that, Skye. I'll talk to Fitzsimmons…they'll come around. They're tougher than you think. And so are you." He saw Skye relax her shoulders a little bit at his words.

"Don't worry about the tests today," he continued. "Take the day off. Do a light workout with May, then go hack some secret agency, okay? Whatever makes you happy."

"Okay," Skye replied softly, "Thanks, Mack."

"Anytime, sis."


	20. Shock

**Hello, my dears! See, I told you I would post the next one soon! So, my goal was to wrap up my 25-chapter story by the time SHIELD starts again, but unless I write one chapter a day for the next five days, that's not very likely! But I shall try! As always, don't forget to review and enjoy! **

Skye rejoined May in the training room. "Hey" she said quietly, throwing a half-hearted punch at the punching bag.

"That was quick" May replied. "They ran all the tests?"

"Not exactly" Skye muttered. "Fitzsimmons weren't really feeling up to it." She punched the bag again, much harder this time.

"So," Skye continued, "What was this new technique you were going to teach me?"

"I've noticed you've had some trouble controlling your emotions lately," May began.

"That's an understatement," Skye mumbled.

May looked at her sternly. "We're going to work on controlling your emotions in high-pressure situations." She glanced at her young student with a look of pity. "This isn't going to be fun, but trust me, it will help."

"Okay," Skye whispered. "I'm ready."

May nodded silently, then motioned for Skye to follow her. The eventually arrived to the door of the basement where they had been keeping Ward. Hesitating for only a second, Skye followed her S.O. down the stairs. They passed the cell, and entered a smaller room that Skye had never noticed before.

The room was white and freezing cold. There was a chair-with-headset contraption that looked a lot like Koenig's lie detector. May pointed towards the chair, indicating for Skye to take a seat.

Skye slowly sat down, taking deep breaths. She felt the arm cuffs tighten around her wrists. Skye paled, and began to tremble as the helmet lowered itself onto her head.

"Relax," May told her soothingly. "Remember, the purpose of this exercise is to teach you control during the most stressful of situations. You're going to be exposed to some very scary images, but remember, none of it is real. These are all outlines of situations that I thought you might find yourself in. But they are only outlines; it's up to you what you make of them. Just find something to focus on to keep you calm. I'll be right outside."

Skye's eyes followed May as she left the room. She couldn't tell if her shaking hands were due to the coldness of the room or the fear that was overtaking her. _Keep breathing _she told herself sternly. _Focus, Skye, focus. _Suddenly, she began feeling vibrations through the helmet, and then the visions began.

* * *

><p>May stood on the other side of the tinted glass, watching her young student. May clenched her fists as she saw Skye's body tense with fear. She closed her eyes, bracing herself, as Skye started to scream in terror. Too late, May realized that she hadn't closed the door to the basement, and everyone on the Bus was now being exposed to Skye's screams.<p>

Sure enough, Coulson sprinted down the stairs, with Fitzsimmons and Mack right behind him. They all looked puzzled when they saw May standing guard outside of the cell. She swore quietly as Mack ran up to her, looking like he was about to break down the door.

May stood in his way, holding her arms out in front of her. "Go back upstairs," she ordered. "I've got this under control."

"You're torturing her!" Fitz shrieked, his voice cracking as Skye's screams grew even louder. May glared at him, and was about to reply when they heard another voice from upstairs yelling:

"Skye? -Skye!"

"Unbelievable," May breathed as she recognized Ward's agitated voice. "Mack, go upstairs and shut him up. Fitzsimmons, you two get out of here as well." The three agents hesitated, looking anxiously at the door behind which Skye was still screaming. "Go!" May ordered again, with a note of menace in her voice. The younger agents obediently turned around, and walked back upstairs.

She rolled her eyes, then turned to Coulson, only to see him burst through the door and turn off the machine Skye was attached to. He gathered the now senseless agent in his arms, and held her as sobs wracked her body.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" he yelled at May. "Are you trying to drive her insane?"

May just looked at him, eyebrows slightly raised. Those were the first words he'd said to her after their kiss, and they weren't very friendly ones.

"May! Talk to me!" She jumped slightly, then frowned at him.

"I was trying to help her," she said quietly. "I'm training her…she needs to learn control."

"And what in the world gave you the idea that a torturing device would be the way to teach her that?"

In a voice softer than a whisper, May replied: "It worked for me."

Coulson sighed deeply as he stroked Skye's hair comfortingly. "May…" he began, but she held up a hand, stopping him.

"After Bahrain, my emotions were so messed up, Phil. Every little thing set me off. I didn't cause any earthquakes, but I was a complete wreck. Why do you think I ignored your requests to come back to work? I took that desk job because it was the most boring, emotionless job I could find. I finally went to see a doctor who gave me this retro-emotional therapy. They basically bombard you with memories that your brain turns into hallucinations. And then you learn how to cope with them."

May looked up at Coulson, her eyes full of pain. He looked like he was about to speak, when Skye began to moan in her sleep:

"Daddy? -No…no! I didn't mean to! -I didn't! NO!"

"Skye, hush, sweetheart, it's okay" Coulson whispered soothingly. Skye relaxed slightly at the sound of his voice, and Coulson glanced at May in confusion. "What's she talking about?"

May looked at him for a moment, not saying anything. She took a deep breath, then said shakily: "She killed him."

Coulson looked shocked. "What?"

"After we brought Ward up, she crumbled the tunnel to pieces…there's no way he could've survived: he was unconscious when we left him."

"Oh my God" Coulson said softly, looking down at his young protégée, searching her face for a sign that his surrogate daughter wasn't a killer.

"That's why Fitzsimmons are so nervous around her," May continued. "Simmons heard Skye say she was going to do it, and judging by the amount of nightmares she had last night, Simmons probably figured out that she went through with it."

Coulson kept staring at Skye, with a look of complete sadness on his face. "She's different, Phil" May said gently. "I was just trying to help her. She has way too many emotions running through her, and she's incapable of making logical decisions. Our Skye never would've done that."

"I know," Coulson replied softly. "She had the opportunity to kill him after he attacked me, but she couldn't do it. That obelisk changed her." Skye began to whimper once again. "The poor child," he murmured.

"I'm going to take her back upstairs," Coulson said. "In the meantime, we need to get Ward off this plane. I'm sure his presence has a lot to do with her stress."

May nodded, then turned to head back up to the cockpit. "Next stop: Aldabra".

"Never heard of it" Coulson said.

"That's the point."


End file.
